Gynandromorphism

Gynandromorphism

an anomaly expressed in the fact that large parts of the body in one organism have the genotype and characters of different sexes. Gynandromorphism is the result of the presence in various cells of the organism of dissimilar sets of sex chromosomes; for example, in many insects some cells (female cells) contain two X chromosomes, while others (male cells) contain only one. Gyandromorphism is a result of irregular distribution of sex chromosomes to the cells in the course of disrupted maturation of the egg cell, its fertilization, or its cleavage. Because of the action of the sex hormones, such phenomena in vertebrate animals and in humans lead to sexual anomalies in which the sectional distribution of male and female tissues is usually not so sharply manifested. Gynandromorphism should be distinguished from intersexuality, in which a more subtle mosaic of female and male characters is observed.

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